Roads
SEPTEMBER 2021
IN NORTHLAND
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in northland 2021 CONTENT 3
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Our community matters
4 5 7 8 9 10 11
Four-lane highway still top priority North Transport Committee Chair says
Drive to get Northland roads right
Arrive alive
More than just maintenance
Future-proofing Whangarei’s transport
Northland students reveal superpowers in road safety films
A voice for Northland’s unique transport needs
For information about Fulton Hogan and our works please call 09 470 0700 or visit www.fultonhogan.com
Fulton Hogan have been busy across Northland in the 2020/2021 season, delivering maintenance works for Whangarei and Far North District Councils, alongside maintenance works for Waka Kotahi (NZTA) across the state highway network from Puhoi and Brigham Creek in the south to Cape Reinga. In the last resurfacing season 113km of road resurfacing was completed on the Northland highway network. Meanwhile, our Major Projects team have delivered two new state highway intersections for Northland and completed repair work on the Mangamuka Gorge after the 100 year storm experienced in July 2020. We thank the people of Northland for your continued support while we deliver the Good Work we are known for. You will soon see us on site in Kaeo as we begin construction of the new two lane bridge and roundabout, while we also start a smaller bridge just south of Mangonui on SH10.
Mangamuka Slip Repair
Puketona Junction & Kawakawa Intersection Improvements
Heavy rain on 17 July 2020 caused several slips through the Mangamuka Gorge in the Far North (SH1). At the main slip site (M8) on the northern side of the gorge, 6-7 thousand cubic metres of material fell from under the road to the river below, leaving the road unsupported to the centreline.
Two critical intersections on the Twin Coast Discovery, long overdue for upgrades with poor safety records and congestion during holiday periods. Fulton Hogan delivered both new intersections in less than 12 months, with Puketona also coming in under budget. Improved stormwater and increased street lighting at both locations are also contributing to safety, with Kawakawa boasting wide cycleways and pedestrian access around the intersection. We look forward to seeing these improvements ease everyone’s travels up north this Christmas.
Fulton Hogan worked with WSP and Waka Kotahi on the lengthy and complex repair job, opening to traffic just under a year later.
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Four-lane highway still top priority North transport committee chair says
The four-lane highway between Wellsford and Whangarei is still a top priority, according to Northland Regional Land Transport Committee chair Councillor Rick Stolwerk.
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he Government withdrew funding for the project in June to the shock and dismay of Northland civic and business leaders. Instead the funding is to be used mainly for a rail link between Whangarei and Northport at Marsden Point and for safety improvements on the existing State Highway network. Stolwerk said the Regional Land Transport Plan for Northland 2021-2027 still has the four-lane highway at the top of the priority list. Construction of the $792 million fourlane corridor was set to start in late 2023 and finish by 2028. “It’s not abandoned. We haven’t given up on it. “It will happen in time but it’s just not going to be done in the next few years,’’ he said.
The Regional Land Transport Plan is, in effect, a programme of works, through which Northland Regional Council, Far North District Council, Whangārei District Council, Kaipara District Council and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency jointly bid for funding assistance from the National Land Transport Fund. This month the Waka Kotahi Transport Agency released its latest funding allocation. This is part of a $24.3 billion programme of investment in New Zealand’s land transport system. Northland’s share of $751 million is to be used on projects over the next three years. Instead of the four-lane highway, the funding is to be used on median barriers and safety improvements in key locations as well as reviewing speed limits between Whangarei and Wellsford. Stolwerk said his committee welcomed the funding, despite the disappointment of the four-lane highway project being shelved. “It is pleasing that we now have the security to press forward with our aim to deliver the best possible transport benefits for people and our communities following the confirmation of a $751
million investment in the Northland region through the NLTP for the next three years. “Unfortunately not everyone can get what they want and a number of initiatives from the NLTP priority list were either moved down or left off altogether. “We are still committed to the four-lane highway and the Road to Zero vision – New Zealand’s road safety strategy,’’ he said. A well-maintained land transport system is critical to ensuring people can travel safely on our roads, regardless of where they live in the region. “We welcome the increased spending on the maintenance and operation of local roads and state highways of up to $344m which will allow us to immediately address concerns raised by our road users and provide safer, more seamless travel.” Maintenance funding is also vital for Northland’s economic growth, ensuring our forestry, farming, horticulture and tourism sectors are able to connect with local and export markets, he said. “We are also pleased that $103 million will be spent to directly improve safety across a number of our local roads and state
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highways and address Northland’s poor road safety record which for too long has been among the worst in the country.” He said roading costs for Northland were always substantially more than other regions because of the unstable soil structure, known as Onerahi Chaos. “The cost of building roads here is 30 to 50 percent higher than other regions. “Also our roads are narrow, so we welcome the installation of side barriers and median strips to keep cars further apart. “People were sceptical about the yellow barrier sticks between Oakleigh and Whangarei, but since they were installed we haven’t had any fatal accidents so having a visual barrier does make a difference.’’ Stolwerk said Northland’s population is growing more than any other region. “We need a resilient and reliable transport network to support our people to live and work. The NLTP provides us with a blueprint of where we can go and we will continue to work together with our partners, including Waka Kotahi, to create a better fit-for-purpose integrated transport system that the region can afford.’
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in northland 2021
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Drive to get Northland roads right Northland Transportation Alliance (NTA) has announced a record year of delivering significant roading improvements throughout Northland.
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ajor investment on Northland’s Council owned transport infrastructure was made through a combination of Council contributions, Waka Kotahi (NZTA) subsidies and Central Government funding. More than $140 million was spent on Northland’s Council transportation networks across Kaipara, Whangarei and Far North Districts, and Northland Regional Council’s Public Transport activities, between July 2020 and June 2021. This equated to spending over 95% of the available budgets, a 50% increase compared to 2019/2020 and is in addition to separate investment by Waka Kotahi on the Northland State Highway network. A breakdown of the investment shows almost $52 million was spent within the Whangarei District Council catchment, $29.7 million in Kaipara District, over $57 million in the Far North, along with a further $5m by Northland Regional Council. Half of the investment went towards improvements and upgrades on existing Northland Council roading assets, including 270kms of road reseals, 46 new footpaths, 43 individual safety improvement projects and the installation of 340 new streetlight columns. Also completed was 16.5km of seal extensions in the Far North and 5.5km in the Whangarei District. A further 10km is
planned for KDC, 11km for FNDC and at least 4km across WDC. Twelve Far North schools and Marae benefitted from a sealing programme which saw 180 metre to 340 metre strips of seal laid to remove the ongoing nuisance of dust for locals. Among these rural areas were Omanaia, Umawera and Waima schools. A further $70m was invested maintaining and operating Northland’s Council transportation networks through a combination of road inspections, grading, fixing potholes, seal repairs, water tabling, public transport operations, road safety promotion and operating streetlights and traffic lights. And while NTA General Manager Calvin Thomas acknowledges there is a long way to go to get Northland’s roads right, he says his team is making strong progress. In fact, they have been working to further develop the multi-year programmes with defined asset strategies to create a more sustainable roading network which locals should be much happier with. “The past year was unique for many reasons with the funding model through a combination of some projects rolled over due to the first Covid lockdown and provision of Central Government stimulus funding,” says Mr Thomas. “We expect to spend around $110-$120 million per year on Council transportation activities in Northland between now and June 2024. “The reality for Northland is that providing consistent outcomes across Northland’s nearly 6,000km of local roading network, of which 3,500km is unsealed, is challenging. That’s why we are really focussed on utilising the
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available funds as effectively as we can, which is always a balancing act. “I am really encouraged by the progress and confident that improvements will continue to be made to Northland’s transport infrastructure.” Within the success of completing additional roading upgrades throughout 2020/2021, was a collaborative effort which saw 103 Northlanders recruited into fulltime transport, roading and arborist related roles. “Our Te Tai Tokerau Worker Redeployment programme was a $9.32 million collaboration between Kānoa – Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit, Northland’s Councils and Waka Kotahi NZTA. “There was strong input from the four Northland Councils, Waka Kotahi NZTA, MBIE, MSD, Te Puni Kōkiri, Northland Inc and 54% of the funded work went to locally owned contractors, with 15% of those Maori and Pacifica owned businesses who were awarded $1.38m under the programme. “Many of the employees have re-trained into new careers and most achieved a minimum of Level 2 qualifications. It was a great success and contributed to us completing a substantially higher workload so that is pleasing.” Mr Thomas says with summer looming, roading improvements throughout Northland will increase. Included in this will be targeted unsealed road maintenance in preparation for the drier summer months, with heavy metaling and drainage works on selected priority road sections. “Every material we put on unsealed roads is naturally sourced from local quarries which operate under strict Northland Regional
Council resource consent conditions. While it may look different, the focus is on blending the right aggregates to produce a more durable and consistent unsealed roading network. “We are looking forward to working more closely with our communities and will be sharing a lot more information about upcoming projects in months to come, so people are aware of just what is happening, when and where, on Northland’s Council transport networks.” NOTE: The Northland Transportation Alliance (NTA) was formed in 2016 and is a partnership between local government and the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) to deliver joined up services for Council owned roading, and transportation related activities, in Northland. The NTA is a collaboration between Kaipara District Council, Whangarei District Council, Far North District Council, Northland Regional Council, with the support of Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. The Alliance has combined staff, services and resources for Council owned roading and transportation in Northland to improve consistency and services for all Northland road users. The NTA co-ordinates staff and resources to benefit all Northland transport system users in the most effective way possible. By combining staff and resources the NTA and its funding partners can improve the consistency of services and efficiencies of scale e.g. specialist skills and purchasing power. More than 70 staff from FNDC, KDC, WDC and NRC work together within the NTA, with the majority based in offices in Whangarei or Kaikohe but travelling extensively throughout Northland, working towards a vision of collectively creating better, safer and more accessible journeys across Northland.
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in northland 2021
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ARRIVE ALIVE
Why target ‘Road to Zero’ in crashes, deaths & injuries? If Not Why Not?
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ho in your family, your friends, or work colleagues would you choose to sacrifice if you don’t accept that road deaths and injuries are not acceptable? As a road user, a voter and tax/rate payer, it is actually in your hands to help keep our roads safe and fit for purpose. Covid-19 has shown us how important our roads are for essential workers delivering groceries, products and materials to keep us all fed, watered and able to wear or build things. Sadly, in Northland as evidenced in the crash info graphics attached, we have still seen an increased number of fatal crashes in 2020 compared to 2019 and so far in 2021 we are three deaths ahead of the same time in 2020. Despite long periods with fewer vehicles on our roads there has been an increase of dangerous drivers. Many of these motorists have been speeding, were impaired by drugs and alcohol and not wearing seatbelts. These factors have also been too frequent influences in fatal & serious injury crashes. The 2020 and 2021 data is still provisional and undergoing further investigations which may change the recorded data.
2021 NORTHLAND ROAD TOLL TO DATE Road crashes, including fatal and injury crashes, are often a sad consequence of a mistake being made by either a driver, a passenger or other road user. Your full attention needs to be on driving safely and wearing your seat-belt. SEAT BELTS
24 DEATHS
ON!
ROADS transport
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MORE THAN JUST MAINTENANCE
Chip Sealing at Waipoua Forest, 2019
Jacqui Hori-Hoult: Waka Kotahi Regional Manager Maintenance and Operations Te Tai Tokerau me Tāmaki Makarau.
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hen the weather warms up there are a few things you’re guaranteed to see in Northland. The iconic orchids in bloom along State Highway 12, an influx of visitors, and more road workers. The latter, because every year Waka Kotahi embarks on a summer maintenance programme which in 2021/22 will see 161 lane kilometres repaired and re-sealed. But it’s much more than just ensuring the roads are safe and smooth to drive on. Earlier this month we released details of the 2021-24 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP). The $751m investment in Northland is great and will touch the lives of everyone who lives here especially because almost half of that money will be spent on maintenance for local roads and state highways. We’ve listened to your concerns about the resilience and reliability of our network and with the Government’s additional $2b top up to the NLTP we can now take tangible steps alongside our local government partners, to improve these areas.
On a finite budget maintaining state highways in Northland can be challenging. There are a number of factors which have an effect on pavement condition, including the underlying geological make-up of the area. While all roads suffer fatigue and damage over time, Northland’s topography is built on a substratum of clay where they have evolved from the bullock tracks built years ago. Our region is vulnerable to slips and extreme weather events especially with the effects of climate change in recent years. That’s why it’s so vital that over the next three years $344m will be available to help maintain local roads and state highways, so they can stand up to such events and ensure communities can bounce back quicker when Mother Nature strikes. Northland began 2020 in drought which made our roads contract and become vulnerable to surface damage. In July, the
Asphalting of State Highway 14 at Maunu, April/May 2021
www.northlandautos.co.nz
region was hit by a 1-in-500-year weather event which caused extensive flooding and damage to road surfaces, with SH1, 12, 14, and 15 affected. 2021 has seen more of the same, and once again our country has been impacted by COVID-19 which has an effect on programme delivery, with supply chains interrupted and work disrupted. Maintenance is one of those words which doesn’t conjure up particularly exciting connotations. But in the transport space it’s the holy grail. Alongside our project work, our team are on the network 24-7 and are the ones who brave the rough weather to clear roads or clean up after a crash. They deal with all matter of hazards, often in a live traffic environment, and keep us safe on the roads - it’s important we do the same for them. Make sure to pass them with care, because they will be across the whole network in the coming months.
Waka Kotahi maintains 978kms of state highway north of the Johnstones Hill Tunnels to Te Reinga Wairua (Cape Reinga) in SH1, SH10, SH11, SH12, SH14, SH15, SH15A and SH16. While SH1 is the transport lifeline connecting Northland to the rest of the country and the focus of much of Waka Kotahi’s maintenance activity, we know that keeping other corridors up to standard is just as important for tying our towns and cities together. Kirikopuni on State Highway 14 west of Maungatapere will be the first to see work done this summer. Crews will be carrying out road rehabilitation – where the road is dug up, repaired and re-laid as new, followed by similar work in Tangiteroria later in the year. Our pre-Christmas asphalting programme will include work at Puhoi, Te Hana, Kaiwaka, Whangarei, Ōhaeawai and Kaitaia. Work in these areas will be done at night to minimise travel disruption. But that’s only the beginning; we’ll also be trimming trees, unblocking drains, clearing roadside rubbish, upgrading signage and guard rails, and repainting markings - all of which are an important part of our maintenance programme. Our crews travel the length and breadth of Northland carrying out these activities, and while it takes place all year round – in summer there’s more people on the roads and more work to be done. It means more daylight hours, better visibility for our crews and (hopefully) warmer, drier weather to help new road surfaces set properly. So, when you see one of our crew, give them a smile and a wave. We may at times ask you to be patient or reduce your speed, but it’s only so we can keep our workers safe and improve your journey in the long run. All of this investment and work recognises the crucial contribution Northland makes to the country’s economy and ensures it will receive the investment it needs as part of our national land transport system. It’s a journey we can all look forward to making together.
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in northland 2021
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FUTUREPROOFING
Whangarei’s transport Whangarei deserves a transport system that can get our goods to market and our customers to our services reliably and efficiently. We need to reduce road deaths and injuries and we – and our kids and grandkids - need a transport system that is sustainable and doesn’t further damage our environment.
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ew Zealand domestic transport emissions have increased 90% since 1990: To prevent climate change threatening our way of life, we need to act now to reach our goal of zero carbon by 2050. That means diversifying our transport networks to increase supply chain resilience, cleaning up by adopting EVs where possible and using lower-emission modes like rail freight and coastal shipping to complement Northland’s long-neglected roads. The government is targeting all these areas – road maintenance, safety, cleaner transport and a more reliable supply chain – over the next few years. Every Northlander knows about our road maintenance backlog. The previous government flatlined road maintenance spending to fund Waikato superhighways, but since coming into government, we have boosted it back up by nearly 50%. Now, the government has listened further to local community and council concerns, providing $2 billon of financing in the new National Land Transport Programme 2021-24. Overall, with councils, we’ll be investing a record $24.3 billion into transport services and infrastructure over the next three years – a 44% increase compared to the last three years and 75% more than the previous government. We’re also working on supply chain resilience and emission reduction. The Programme delivers $1.3 billion to implement the NZ Rail Plan and $30 million to support coastal shipping, with further announcements on how this will support freight to come.
Checking out the planned site where the new rail spur will join the main line, against the background of one of the new bridges funded in last year’s Budget. Boss Mike Tana (20+ years in rail) and Panapa Davis, the new train driver trainee.
Locally, funding the Marsden Spur rail-link to Northport is game-changing, enabling increased container freight through Northport, the only major port in New Zealand that is not rail connected. Before the port moved from Whangarei, KiwiRail carried
a million tonnes of freight in Northland, dropping to around 100,000 tonnes when it went to Northport. Now, the Transport Ministry’s prediction is volumes could increase to around 2.5m tonnes a year. The rail-line complements Northport’s plans for a shipyard and floating drydock and port extension to increase its stake in
Planning underway for the Marsden Rail spur.
international and coastal shipping. Initial estimates suggest the shipyard alone would provide 400 direct jobs for Northland. I continue working with Northport to realise its potential. Meanwhile, key routes such as State Highway 1 (SH1) are critical for Northland. During the next three years, we’re putting $103 million throughout Northland to improve safety, with a particular focus on the three most dangerous stretches of the 80km of SH1 from Whangārei to Wellsford, including the Marsden/Whangarei corridor. We know these measures work, because we’ve seen drops of up to 80% in deaths on the 10km between Toetoe Road and Springfield Road since mid-2018, when similar safety measures were installed. However, increasingly severe weather from climate change (and any future Covid-19 shifts) both risk more supply chain disruption, so on top of the road maintenance investments, we’re putting $3.9 billion into improving communities’ connections, ensuring freight reliability and improving resilience across the country. Our transport investments are also investments in our Covid recovery, providing ongoing work for local businesses and people now, while helping protect the future of the next generations.
Emily Henderson MP for Whangārei
If you’ve got any case work that needs taking up or have questions about ourr policies, then please get in touch with my office. My team and I can help you withh a wide variety of issues! Get in touch: (09) 430 7922 | Emily.HendersonMP@parliament.govt.nz 66a Bank St, Whangārei /EmilyHendersonMP Authoriised by Dr Emily Henderson MP, Parliament Buildings, Wellington
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Northland students reveal superpowers in road safety films SADD (Students Against Dangerous Driving) and Northland Road Safety Trust (NRST) came together to challenge students to make engaging and contemporary road safety films.
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tudents in Whangārei and Kaipara were asked to be creative in their thinking and offer a fresh take on road safety messaging that would resonate with young Kiwis. Ashley Johnson, Manager of the Road Safety programme, was looking for innovative ways to get students engaged and how to get distracted driving messaging to young road users. SADD was the perfect partner to do that.
The competition focused on SADD’s online tool - Drive in the Moment - (https:// www.sadd.org.nz/driveinthemoment) that educates young drivers on the use of smartphones whilst driving. The tool helps individuals build a lasting plan to avoid the temptation of using devices behind the wheel. It also provides frequent reminders so students stay focused on the plan they made. The competition winner “Superhero” Pompallier Catholic College Year 13 student D’Artagnan Gould, 17, chose to dress as Superman and prove he is resistant to his mates’ attempts to get the better of him. Unfortunately (spoiler alert), he is not resistant to being distracted by his phone. “My experience was fantastic! It was really enjoyable filming the video alongside my friends who helped out. I wanted to get the message out there, that you are not
invincible in the car as you realize, and I thought a superhero could really be a good contrast to show this. I am hoping to change people’s mindset regarding driving, especially teenagers as we often do believe that we are invincible. Always stay focused, because anything can happen at any given time.” says D’Artagnan who wants to study creative media production at Massey University in Wellington. D’Artagnan’s creative approach paid off and won $3,000 for his school. Second place went to Anwen Davies (Tauraroa Area School) with her SADD branded stop-motion film with cat presented safety tips, receiving $1,500. Blair Oxenham and Sean Clarke, both of Pompallier Catholic College, shared the third prize of $500. Whangārei Rotary Club sponsored 1st place with both 2nd and 3rd places being sponsored by NRST.
For those who have not seen the amazing short films yet, you can find a link to each below. There’s a message in them for us all to make a difference. Together we can make a difference to keep our roads safe.
https://youtube.com/ playlist?list=PLnGXgkvmJnpHK0ws-uAIYP3GvRX9d3F
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in northland 2021
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A VOICE FOR
Northland’s unique transport needs BY TRACEY RISSETTO AA NORTHLAND DISTRICT CHAIR
Northland is a unique part of Aotearoa New Zealand, and so are our roads.
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riving here often feels like we’re still in the New Zealand of yesteryear when you compare our roads to some around Auckland and Waikato. And the facts don’t lie. Northland tragically has the worst rate of road deaths and serious injuries in the country. When people think of the AA, what generally springs to mind is our Roadside service vehicles coming to the rescue for a breakdown. But the AA is also an advocacy group, speaking up on our Members’ behalf about local road safety issues, and the Northland AA District Council continues to do this today. Having local people focussed on local issues is essential because what Northland needs to make transport work better in our patch is very different to the transport issues in places like Auckland and Wellington. We’ve seen a perfect example of that recently around the desperate need for more road maintenance in Northland. It’s a nationwide issue, but worse in Northland than anywhere else. So our AA District Council has been leading this messaging; meeting with local MPs, councils, Waka Kotahi and working with the media to highlight the fact that Northland’s roads are the worst in New Zealand on multiple measures. That advocacy work has borne fruit recently at the top level, with the Government announcing hundreds of millions of dollars more in road maintenance funding for the next three years.
You can rest assured that the AA will be keeping track of what work is delivered in Northland and continue to push for our roads to be at the standards they should be, to ensure everyone gets home safely. If Northlanders are driving and riding on better quality and less damaged roads in the years ahead, the AA will be proud of the part we played in making that happen. But that’s far from the only change our region needs. Our driver licensing system needs improvement and this is a particular issue in Northland. There are parts of the country where you can live without a car and have other accessible and affordable transport options to get you around but in Northland being able to drive or ride safely and legally is essential to people participating fully in the community and accessing public services and healthcare.
And obtaining a driver licence gives so much value beyond just proving you are a safe and capable driver. Progressing to a full licence is key for employment, independence and a sense of achievement. So it’s a no brainer that we should have a licensing system where people can easily get professional training and progress through the licensing stages without barriers – both for those driving and those on motorbikes, with the specialised skills and knowledge they need. At present, it can be hard for a number of people to have access to safe, warranted and registered vehicles to learn in, to get enough time with parents or mentors supervising them, and to afford the costs
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involved. We need to make sure that any changes to driver licensing will work in remote, rural regions like ours. Some other very important road safety improvements we need in Northland are ensuring everyone wears a seatbelt all the time, and that people aren’t driving under the influences of alcohol or drugs These are not simple or quick problems to solve, but there are things we could do around more alcohol enforcement, introducing roadside drug testing, ensuring all convicted drink drivers have an alcohol interlock installed in their car, accessible rehabilitation for people caught drunk/ drugged driving, and ongoing education around the value of seatbelts. The Northland AA District Council will keep listening to and advocating for our local AA Members, staying informed about what is happening on our roads, and being a strong voice for the unique needs of our region. Imagine how many road deaths and serious injuries could be saved if we had better roads, more people getting professional driver training through to their full licence, and saw an end to impaired driving and people not buckling up.
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2008 Honda CRV Sport Plus
1.3ltr Auto, 5dr Hatch in Blue
2.4ltr, Auto, 4wd, Towbar, 106ks (photo not of actual vehicle)
$13,990
$14,990
2013 Mitsubishi Lancer GSR R
2014 Honda Jazz RS
2ltr, Hatch, Auto, 74ks 4k
1.5 auto 1 owner Silver
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FAR NORTH HONDA Phone 408 1310 Melba Street, Kaitaia
